


Storm

by Falcon (obligatory_word)



Series: Weathered Storms (Regressive!Emily AU) [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Aca-Parents Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Aca-family, Age Regression/De-Aging, Canon Rewrite, Childhood Trauma, Emily Junk Needs a Hug, Emily is Not Okay, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/F, Hallucinations, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Not Canon Compliant, Protective Beca Mitchell, Protective Chloe Beale, Regressive!Emily, Team as Family, if you squint you'll see benji and emily feels, set in pp2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24094003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obligatory_word/pseuds/Falcon
Summary: Something happens to Emily, pulling an arguing couple together in tragedy. Many things happen. Beca faces demons from the past. Everybody needs a hug.(Kickstarter story for a Regressive!Emily AU, featuring literal Aca-parents Beca and Chloe.)
Relationships: Chloe Beale & Emily Junk & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Stacie Conrad/Aubrey Posen
Series: Weathered Storms (Regressive!Emily AU) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738297
Comments: 11
Kudos: 23





	Storm

**Author's Note:**

> This is a regressive Emily AU I thought of because I'm not capable of not writing angst and whump in a series (especially if you came from my All or Nothing fic) and I'm a sucker for aca-fam Beca and Chloe, and Emily has to be my favourite character, and therefore they will all suffer... also come on, Amy has a bad dad, Emily has a nonexistent dad, Aubrey has an absent father... prime material for sad and tragic backstories. Anyways, enjoy.
> 
> Also, set during PP2.

The weather forecast said it was a stormy day.

Beca wanted to scream.

She hated rain. Hated it so much.

"Chloe, have you seen Em?"

Chloe gave her a side-glance, a little pissed at her disappearing acts. She was no doubt worried, but with Beca's new job that she still could not tell her girlfriend, she was genuinely frightened.

After knowing Emily's condition...

That was the only time the two would never give a cold shoulder to each other.

"No."

Beca turned away from Chloe, as if to walk outside in the pouring rain herself. She barely registered the flash of memory in her head. That Emily went out to see Benji.

Chloe fiddled with her phone, tense as all heck. Beca considered calling Benji, raising her phone, when there was a crack of thunder and the flitting shadow of someone sneaking down the stairs. Beca screamed. Chloe jerked up as if she was electrocuted, also screaming at the shadow.

Beca immediately reached for her jacket pocket, where she kept pepper spray and sprayed it all over the person's face. The person screamed too, jumping back and dancing from foot to foot.

There was a clatter of footsteps as everyone went downstairs to investigate the commotion.

"AMY!" Cynthia-Rose shouted, pulling Amy back. "Beca, stop!"

Chloe seized the tiny brunette's arms, causing her to jerk slightly and drop the spray. She screeched again, as she realized the shadow was just Amy trying to ninja her way down the stairs. Now her eyes were red, she was practically crying.

"Beca! Relax!"

"Amy!" Beca gasped, frowning. "You scared the fuck out of me!"

"I was... I was just going to go get the Legacy- I mean, chim chim cheree..."

"Hold on," Chloe said, releasing Beca and walking over, "you know what happened to Emily?"

"... noooo?"

"Amy, I swear to God, do not make me pepper spray you again," Beca threatened. Chloe's form backed her up as the Austrailian began to sweat nervously. The duo might not have had the best of relationships that year, but in things regarding Emily, they were a force to be reckoned with. She had made that mistake in sneaking in alcohol for Emily the last time Beca went on a bender and Chloe had locked herself in her room after another huge argument. Emily's drunk form (because she was an incredible lightweight) did not go unnoticed by Stacie, who proceeded to inform Chloe about it.

Of course, Beca happened to come home and Amy had the first taste of their protectiveness over Emily.

"She went to see Benji."

"I remember that. I'm not senile. Why do you have to be the one to get her?" Beca asked irately. "Is she in trouble?"

"No?"

_"Amy."_

"Okay, okay, Red, Shawshank... chill. She was with Benji. I have to pick her up because she's not with him anymore." Amy shrank back from Beca and Chloe.

"Why? Did Benji do something-? I'm going to punch the living daylights out of that boy I swear..." Beca was about to move out of the door, but Chloe caught her hand.

She flinched suddenly, looking down at their joined hands, then back at Chloe. A strange look appeared on her face.

"It's not worth it. We'll find her, Becs," Chloe said, in a comforting tone. Beca looked again at their hands, and pulled away.

"Yeah, yeah... we'll find her."

"Can you guys like save the make-up sex for later? The Legacy's like in so much trouble and it's very stormy outside!" Amy shouted.

Chloe turned away for a moment, Beca frowned at Amy. "Right. Where is Emily, why do you know where she is and what the fuck happened to her?"

"At an old tree at some road outside, she called me and she's in trouble."

"Great." Chloe snagged Beca's hand and tugged her to the door. Emily's jacket was hung over one of the dining room chairs. Beca took it, as well as two raincoats. "Beca, call Benji. Get as much information out of him as possible. Stacie, CR, take Beca's car, come with us. Jessica, Ashley, Flo, stay with Amy and ready the extreme regressive supplies as well as maybe first-aid? I don't know. Lilly, you go find Emily... in whatever way you can. Amy, walk it off."

"Why do I have to walk it off?!" Amy screeched.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell the rest of us?" Beca asked plainly.

The Bellas all quickly separated, the hard rain pounding down on the roof of the car as Beca and Chloe ran to Chloe's car. CR and Stacie went to Beca's car.

Upon reaching the driver's side door though, Beca hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Chloe asked.

"Nothing," Beca said quickly, opening the door and setlling herself in, waiting for Chloe and bracing herself for the trauma to come.

_The rain poured just like this, like stones dropping on our heads, the rhythmic tapping of raindrops on the windows, the car roof above our heads. It was dark, like this, the only thing illuminating the way was the headlight of the car._

"Beca!" Chloe almost yelled. "You're spacing out."

"Sorry," she said, but there was something off about it. She peeled out of the household. "Just worried, I guess."

"I'm worried too, Beca."

"I know."

It was just like the day it happened. She tried not to let her driving go out of control, keeping her eyes peeled for Emily, for Benji, for anything-

FALLING BRANCH!

Beca's hands jerked suddenly, eyes wide as she lost control of the car, sending it almost spinning across the road. It was only Chloe's scream that made her snap back into reality and slam hard on the brakes, sending a splash of water as she did a small drift with the car on the slippery road.

Her knuckles were white, breaths coming in short gasps as she gripped the steering wheel tightly. She could barely register Chloe's screaming.

"- the fuck, Beca! You could have killed us! What the fuck were you think- Beca? Oh my God, Beca? Beca are you okay?"

She was trembling, fuck, she was trembling. No. She had to stay calm. For Emily. For Chloe.

But Beca couldn't help the tears spilling from her eyes, smearing the dark world in colour, extinguishing the fiery red that was Chloe's hair as she reached over the console and hugged Beca.

"Oh, shit I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I didn't think... I'm sorry."

Beca was still crying, choked sobs. Stuck in the threshold between the present and the past.

_"Mom? Mommy? Mommy wake up!"_

"Chloe? Chloe-? Please..."

_"Someone help me!"_

"I need..."

_"MOMMY!"_

"... Chloe..."

Chloe sighed, holding Beca close, mumbling apologies. She only could barely register the flash of another pair of headlights behind them, and the knocking at the window and the worried faces of Stacie and CR.

They were gesturing, pointing at something beyond their car. The thought of Emily and the sight of Chloe made Beca take a deep breath and rub her eyes.

"Beca..."

"We have to find the Legacy," Beca said quietly, "we'll talk later."

They pulled apart, and Beca only saw a small image. A tall woman, standing with long, flowing hair. Her smile serene, pointing at something off the road. It reminded her of...

"Mom?" Beca asked, causing Chloe to start in confusion. Beca looked at where she was pointing, then gasped, dragging her eyes back to where she thought she saw her mom.

But she was gone.

"Emily!" Chloe yelled, following Beca's eyeline. They both got out of the car, and joined by Stacie and CR, ventured out into the pouring rain.

Emily's head was lolling. She was shivering, curled up into a tiny ball. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was whimpering. Surrounding her were four boys.

Beca knew of only two, Henry and Kyle. They were shuffling nervously, reluctant to do anything. The two were brothers. Good people, she knew. How they ended up with bad influences... she didn't know.

Or maybe she did, but she didn't go down that dark path herself.

The lightning flashed again, making the scene all the more eerier. Henry's buzzcut was obvious in the bright light, Kyle's nerdy look was replaced with uncertainty. The biggest one was sneering, looking at the newcomers. He looked down again at Emily and aimed a kick for her face.

Beca saw red, grabbing her pepper spray. But she remembered it was gone when she excessively maced Amy. She leapt forward, slamming her fist into the ringleader's square jaw. He staggered back with the force, looking surprised.

"Why I oughta-"

Beca nailed him in the groin, causing him to sink to his knees on the damp soil. Chloe was about to step forward in anger as the second boy kicked Emily and seized Beca by her collar, lifting her clear off the ground and slamming her down.

Henry and Kyle did nothing.

"Well? Do something you stupid fools!" the ringleader shouted. He was staggering to his feet, where Stacie and CR intervened, Stacie surprisingly able to throw a good punch and CR managing to wrestle the ringleader down.

The brothers shifted yet again, shaking. Their knuckles were purple. Another flash of lightning and it showed prominent bruises on their cheeks and face.

Chloe fought with the second boy, forcing him to drop Beca and let her crawl over to Emily, who looked scarily half-dead.

"Em?" Beca asked, shaking Emily slightly. She groaned, curling up tighter, eye cracking open to look at Beca.

"B... Beca..."

"It's okay. We're gonna get you back. Back. Shit, this is bad. This is so fucking bad..." Her hand was hurting, throbbing, shaking. She quickly wrapped Emily in her jacket that she picked up.

A shadow fell over her. She cursed suddenly, wishing she didn't spray Amy that much earlier. She whirled around, the first thought coming to her mind was that they would have to get through her to get to Emily.

It was only Lilly, leaping into action as she flipped the ringleader over into the second boy. She straightened, looked at Henry and Kyle and gave them a death glare.

Kyle squeaked. Henry yelped. "We-we're sorry!"

"Lilly!" Chloe straightened, her knuckles bloody. "Leave them."

"She's hypothermic," Stacie said, checking Emily's temperature with a thermometer. Beca grasped onto Emily's arms, but couldn't pull her up herself. Chloe crouched next to Beca and helped Emily sit up, and she groaned in pain.

"Has she regressed, Becs?" Chloe asked.

Beca looked at Emily. She groaned again, gripping weakly onto Chloe and Beca's jackets, shivering, teeth chattering. Blood was staining the front of her shirt, spilling from her mouth. Her eyes were cracked open, showing only pain. She had not regressed. Beca didn't see the youthful shine of innocence in them that appeared when Emily had regressed.

"No. That's good and bad. Chloe, she needs to go to the hospital, she's coughing out blood. She can't breathe properly," Beca noted, noticing Emily's laboured breaths. "Chlo, help me carry her."

"No you fucking don't-!"

Lilly intercepted the ringleader in time, elbowing him in the face. Henry and Kyle moved over, pausing when Lilly turned to them with a dark look.

"We don't mean to!"

Beca didn't turn, too focused on Emily and Chloe to acknowledge the two properly. "Fuck the sorry. If you really mean well, you'll go with Stacie and CR, the other two, and you will report everything to the authorities and turn yourselves in for assault."

They were good kids, Beca knew. No, they were better kids once. But influences... tended to drag morals down. She knew them from seeing them in Emily's classes. Emily was friends with them per encouragement of Chloe and Beca to have a wider social circle than just the Bellas, and look where that got her. She felt stupid now. Every squelching step was a tiring journey, as more blood dripped from Emily's weak coughs.

"You're going to be fine, Emily," Beca rambled, as they approached the cars. "You're going to be fine."

"... am I dying?" Emily asked meekly. Her eyes were half-closed, glazed over, trying hard to focus on Beca and Chloe. Beca swallowed hard, trying to smile.

"No, no, Em. You'll be alright."

Chloe shot Beca a look, before helping them into the backseat of the car. She crossed over, getting into the driver's seat and reaching out to put her hand over Beca and Emily's.

"You'll be alright."

"'M so sleepy... I want... no... I don't... want... to..."

"You can't sleep yet, kid, I need you to stay awake." Beca looked up at Chloe who was driving at breakneck speed over the roads. Chloe let out a choked sob, as she drove. "Chloe."

"What else do you want me to do?" Chloe almost screamed. "I'm going as fast as I can!"

"Chloe! Can we not have a disagreement over Emily, please?"

"Like you didn't start it!" Chloe snapped. "Who the fuck allowed Emily out of the house today? Wasn't it you?"

"If you didn't let her join the Bellas none of this would have ever fucking happened!"

Chloe screamed and hit the steering wheel in frustration.

Emily coughed wetly. The blood spurted all over the backseat, making Beca gasp. She turned to the small brunette, grasping at her jacket again and tugging.

"Beca... please... can you... promise me?"

"Wha?" Beca asked, leaning in closer. Chloe exhaled a small sob.

"I don't want you and Chloe to fall out because of me..." Emily whispered. "Please... don't fight anymore. Don't call yourselves my 'mom and dad' if you... wouldn't act like them. You love her, I know you do... don't fight. Please."

"Em... that's a hard promise to make."

"Please?" Emily asked.

"... I promise."

Beca met Chloe's blue eyes in the rearview mirror. They softened, looking back on the road. The rough driving was lessened.

"Beca..." Chloe started, about to apologize.

Beca glanced out, to the same hallucination of her mother pointing. Except this time it was upwards. Beca's head jerked up, screaming as a branch came hurtling from one of the trees and smashed into the driver's seat and everything went black just for a few moments as she squeezed her eyes shut.

_No. Not again. Not again._

This time it was Chloe paying the price.

_No. Stop. Stop!_

The car skidded out of control upon impact, drifting a little. Stacie immediately braked the car she was driving, watching her friends drive headfirst into a tree. The sound of shattering glass and twisted metal would forever haunt her nightmares.

"BECA! CHLOE! EMILY!" Stacie screamed, scrambling out of the car. CR followed, trying to peer into the wreckage.

They could see Beca's movements inside, as she rushed to check if Emily was okay. Stacie felt the rain drench them, but she didn't care. The three were more important to her. She could open none of the car doors. All the car doors were jammed. The windshield was shattered, and the elements were making themselves home in the car. Henry and Kyle followed, calling the ambulance and trying to rescue them too.

Inside, Beca uncurled from Emily. There were glass shards embedded in her shoulder, but Beca had protected her from the brunt of the blast. Still, she had a gash forming on the left side of her face.

"Legacy. Wake up. I'm right here with you."

No answer.

"Emily?" Beca asked, now noticing the pain in her body as she moved, a multitude of cuts around her body and the ragdolling effect of the drifting and crash impact. Her head hurt like someone had smashed a hammer into it. "Chloe?"

No answer either. Emily moaned and stirred, dissolving into bloody coughs. The coughs were powerful enough to throw her head outwards. Beca supported Emily, propping her up.

"Go... I'm... okay."

Beca practically launched herself to the front seat, to see Chloe sitting there, practically almost ran through by the branch in the left shoulder. Almost. She was almost crushed by it too. She was sitting there, mouth open with red dripping down.

"Chloe... Chloe... hey. Look at me."

Her eyes, those eyes, glanced over to Beca. Tired, filling with tears as she grasped Beca's hand with a weak grip.

"Becs..." Chloe smiled. "I'm sorry."

"Why?" Her voice sounded small and timid.

"For everything. For not being me. For not being there. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." She paused. "I just want you to know... always... that if you don't see me again... just know that I love you. I love you so, so much..."

Beca leaned her forehead against Chloe's, letting her tears fall. "You can't leave me... no... that is... you can't leave me here alone..."

Chloe laughed sadly, blood leaking out from her mouth and oozing onto the floor. "Becs... please... sing for me?"

Beca leaned forward to kiss Chloe on the lips. Tasting blood. Her blood. Beca pulled away, leaving Chloe chasing for more, but also knowing that was what she was going to get.

"I love you too, Chlo," Beca uttered quietly. She took a deep breath and sang softly.

_"I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose... fire away, fire away. Ricochet, you take your aim, fire away, fire away..."_

Chloe smiled, weakly harmonizing.

_"Shoot me down, but I won't fall. I am titanium... shoot me down, but I won't fall... I am titanium..."_

"I love you, Beca. I always have. Always will. Take care of Emily. She's such a good kid. She'll be okay, right?" Chloe rasped as the blue and red lights bathed their surroundings, with the pouring rain and the howling winds.

Beca glanced at Emily, whose breathing was laboured and slowing down.

"She'll be okay. Everything will be okay. I love you, Chloe." She pressed one last forehead kiss to Chloe as the doors were pried open. "You'll be okay too. We'll be okay. I promised."

-

Aubrey was used to Chloe situations. Aubrey was used to Beca situations (Read: Beca's benders). Aubrey was used to Emily's regressions.

Aubrey was not used to tragically sad situations.

Stacie's bloodstained shirt was the first thing she saw upon entering. The next thing she saw was Lilly's dark expression and CR's sullen look.

"Beca will be out shortly," CR said. Aubrey let herself look at Stacie. She was shaking, staring at her bloodstained hands.

"Stacie?" Aubrey asked. Stacie looked broken, looking up to Aubrey with a half-hearted expression.

Stacie took a sharp breath. Her grip on Aubrey was tight.

"Bree... Bree... whatever happens to us after this, I love you."

"What?" Aubrey asked, but Stacie shook her head, holding her closer.

"I just want you to know. In case... in case..."

Her breath stuttered a little, and she choked out a little sob, with Aubrey wrapping her arms around the genius.

"I love you, Stacie. Always." Aubrey tightened her grip. "Always."

The Bellas sat in silence, save for Stacie's crying. Lilly was fiddling with a butterfly knife, opening and closing it. Fat Amy was staring out into space, thinking about her last conversation with Emily.

_"You can do this," Amy encouraged. "Just admit it to him."_

_"If I fail?" Emily asked. "What if he turns away from me for being regressive?"_

_"Then I'll smack his ass for you," Amy said. "He wants to be your friend? He's gotta accept it."_

_"Amy..."_

_"He MUST," Amy insisted. "Go and expand your social circle too. Like, those guys. Henry and Kyle. Right?"_

_"Yes... but... I don't know them as well..."_

_"Just go, Legacy. Don't be like Shawshank and have zero friends besides us."_

_A few hours later... Amy gets a call._

_"Legacy! Did you finally get your act together?"_

_"Oh I'm sorry, is this FAT AMY?" Laughter was heard on the other end of the line. "Sorry, I think we got the wrong number. Emily's unavailable at the moment so yeah... she's too busy being a baby."_

_"What the fuck," Amy said, getting up. "Who the fuck are you?"_

_"Friends of hers'. Don't worry, she's fine. Though if you wanna pick her up, you better do it outside school. Don't bring anybody, fatass."_

_"You're going to hell."_

_"She's going there first, bitch. She told us everything. It was your idea. It's all your fault."_

_"Why would you do this?" Amy asked. "Money? Influence? What the hell would you get out of this?"_

_"Entertainment. She doesn't belong here. She should just die."_

_Click._

_One empty, hollow click._

_Beca and Chloe would be so heartbroken if they knew. But what choice did she have?_

"Are you the family of Beca Mitchell?" A doctor asked.

"Her father is on her way," Aubrey answered, as Amy was zoning out at the moment. Jessica and Ashley weren't present, accompanying Henry and Kyle to the police station. Flo was silent, patting Amy on the shoulder. Stacie was still crying, with CR still with that sullen look. "But yes, we are the family of Beca Mitchell... not quite, uh, biological, but yes."

"I would like to inform you that she is safe to be discharged. There were a couple of glass shards lodged in her shoulder, a couple of minor bruises and a mild concussion, but other than that she would be okay. She'll be out to see you shortly."

"Oh thank God," CR said, pausing. "What about Chloe... Chloe Beale and Emily Junk?"

"... Chloe has stabilized, though she is in no condition to see anybody. She has suffered major blood loss, a skull fracture and three broken ribs, one of which has pierced through her abdomen, but she will live. As for Emily... you would have to wait for more information." He pursed his lips. "I'm sorry."

Aubrey didn't say much, just nodded.

"Emily was ice cold."

That statement sent chills down Aubrey's spine. "What?"

"She was so cold, Aubrey... she couldn't stay awake... I thought she was dead," Stacie said, eyes open. It was clear her brain wasn't fully functioning at that point, just replaying that moment. Her science genius didn't analyze the situation, only watched it over and over... and over. "I pulled her out. Beca couldn't even let go of Chloe. They had to use defibrillators on both of them. I couldn't keep Beca back. She was screaming, and screaming, and screaming... and screaming..."

Stacie got quieter at the repetition, hugging Aubrey close. CR looked away. Lilly closed he butterfly knife with an audible clack in the hallway. Amy turned her head to Stacie.

"She wouldn't listen to reason. She couldn't stop. She couldn't stop, Aubrey... I couldn't help her... I couldn't do _anything,_ " Stacie choked out, momentarily letting go of Aubrey to run her hands through her hair and almost pull her hair out. "Chloe was dying, Emily was dying... it was so bad, Bree... I wanted to tell Beca it was going to be okay. It was going to be alright. _They_ were going to be alright. But that's a lie. That's a fucking lie!"

She screamed the last bit, squeezing her eyes shut and pulling at her hair. Aubrey gently untangled her hands from her hair and squeezed them, pulling her close.

"She was screaming, screaming... everybody was shouting... so... cold... I can't stop thinking about their eyes. They looked so dead. Glassy eyes... like they can't see anymore. I see Emily screaming with Beca's voice but with Chloe's glassy eyes, sometimes... and I feel so, so bad... that I can't do anything to help. I want them to be happy, Bree..." she sniffed, burying her head in Aubrey's neck. "That's all I want for them. Not more sadness."

Aubrey closed her eyes. Chloe and Beca hadn't had the best of start to their relationship. They were constantly fighting especially in their senior year. Aubrey often listened to tales of Stacie overhearing the couple's fights, Emily coming to Aubrey for advice and another parental figure, Chloe's calls with Aubrey after particularly exhausting fights.

Beca confided in Aubrey more than enough for Aubrey not to get too mad at the hobbit; Beca had come from a rough home. One of tragedy and practical neglect. Aubrey was raised in a tragic home too, but had at least a loving father whenever he was home. Otherwise, she was raised to try and be a bad person.

Aubrey also knew that Beca hadn't told Chloe the full story yet, knowing that Chloe's hyperempathy could get the best of her. Still, Beca was coping well and learning how to open up to others.

Emily was a different story. She was clearly struggling with problems, but she was the kindest soul Aubrey could ever hope to meet. Emily, as far as Aubrey knew, never opened up. Maybe she would have said something to the other Bellas, but she had it kept under lock and key, too scared of opening up lest they reject her. Aubrey knew Beca and Chloe cared deeply for her, she was like their child. And she knew that whatever Emily's background was, they would always accept her for who she was.

The thunder crackled outside. Emily loved storms.

She saw the lumbering form of Beca Mitchell. Beca's eyes were red, clearly from crying. Her voice was raspy as she greeted them with a very soft, "hey" and seated herself next to Aubrey.

No scowl, no smirk. Just blank expression.

"Beca?" Aubrey asked.

"They kicked me out of Emily's room..." Beca softly said. "Even if I shouted at them to just leave her be and let me take care of it... they forcefully physically restrained her. They used zip ties to force her onto the bed. But she wasn't being violent. She just wanted me and Chloe. She was crying out for me... they weren't gentle. She was thrashing to get to me. And when they finally restrained her on the bed she fully regressed and threw a tantrum even though she was in so much pain. They injected sedatives into her and ushered me out."

Now Lilly abruptly turned away marching down the hallway. Flo looked at Beca. "Should we be concerned..."

"I don't care," Beca cut in. "If she kills them, let them fucking die. That's my kid they just treated like an animal."

Aubrey closed her eyes. This was not Beca. She was being irrational. She was being... too dark and edgy. And it was too scary for even Aubrey to handle.

"She wouldn't want you to wish that on anybody," Aubrey said slowly.

"I shouldn't have let her out! Then she wouldn't be in this situation in the first place and Chloe wouldn't be like my mom!" Beca exploded, and the whole hospital fell quiet. "It's all my fault!"

"STOP!" Amy yelled back. "I was the one who encouraged Emily to go out and trust them! If anything, the fault should be on me! I caused this mess! So scream at me all you want, Beca, because I deserve it!"

"That's enough." Beca's dad appeared in the hallway, followed by Henry, Kyle, Jessica and Ashley. "No one is to be blamed but the two who did all of this in the first place."

"These two!" Beca shouted, getting up and raising her fist to deck Henry in the face, right in his black eye. "You hurt my kid-!"

He didn't flinch, just lowered his head. Lilly appeared out of nowhere and caught Beca's punch.

Dr. Mitchell just looked sad. "Beca..."

"She trusted you!" Amy spat, about to nail Kyle in the jaw. He flinched, looking scared. Lilly raised her other hand, caught Amy's punch and twisted her arm so that she was locked in an armbar on the floor.

"Stop..." Jessica mumbled. "They did it, fine, but they were forced to."

"Forced to, my ass!" Amy shouted from the floor. Beca just looked too worn out to throw another punch.

"The other two boys you guys found were rushed to the emergency room earlier and are being detained. Henry and Kyle went to confess and then they were sent here for their wounds... they will also be detained after getting medical help," Ashley explained.

"We... also owe you an explanation," Henry said, still looking at the floor.

"You have five minutes. Fucking spit it out," Beca snarled.

"Emily was known for being the nicest kid in our classes. All the professors loved her. She's really smart too. But a lot of people didn't like her, so she had difficulty making friends outside of an acapella group... until she met us," Kyle explained. "We don't... have the best influences in our social circle. So when the people who really hated her got wind of this... they forced us to tell them everything we know. Coincidentally, she told us about her mental wellness... or lack thereof when they did."

"Snide comments to yourself," Aubrey reminded, surprised at how she was the most level-headed out of this whole situation.

"Sorry. They really wanted her gone because of that. She was so 'weak' in their eyes. So they stalked her to... I think the Trebles house. She was exiting with the magic dude there. The other two decided to sort of kidnap her and... well..."

Beca's eyes widened. "You didn't."

"We got beat up for not doing it."

"But the other two fuckers did?" Beca snapped.

"... yes. They made us beat her up instead..." Kyle looked at his hands. They were shaking. They were rough and calloused. He was an experienced fighter. "We didn't want to... but we were finally at a place where we didn't have to lose everything... but we liked her... she saw the good in everybody, even us... even those two..."

Beca softened. A tiny bit.

"... I didn't want to use my skills for picking on the innocent, man..." Henry said softly, hanging his head. "She did nothing wrong... but we did. We deserve whatever punishment you give us... but... we're sorry. We're so, so sorry."

Dr. Mitchell cleared his throat, catching the attention of the two. "I do believe you have to apologize to Benji as well. He was the main suspect of her disappearance."

Benji stormed in at that particular moment, steam flowing from his ears. "You!"

Jesse was trying to hold him back, unsuccessfully.

"You did this!" He shoved Henry back into Beca, who suddenly staggered from the shock. Lilly let go of Amy and rounded on Benji, but Beca stopped her. None of them had ever seen Benji this mad before. Not in regards to Emily, at least. "You fucking mainiacs!"

"Let him get it all out," Beca said.

"I got arrested! For what? Being the last person she sees that was genuine? You have no idea the kind of person you hurt!" He jabbed a finger into Henry's chest. "She didn't deserve no shit from you! Hell, she saved your asses from becoming drug and alcohol junkies because she. believed. in. you. And what thanks does she get? Being raped in the back of a car? Getting beaten up and left to die in the middle of nowhere? And then you two have the audacity to show up here where she is- why I oughta..."

"Benji. That's enough," Beca barked. Something in her tone made him back off a little, relaxing. Though he still carried a scowl.

"Assholes," he spat. 

Beca watched him push past the two brothers and sit heavily on the seats, eyes red. He was clearly worried. Jesse joined her next to Aubrey as Jessica and Ashley ushered the two boys away.

"I called Chloe's parents, to let them know," Aubrey said, lowering her phone. Stacie was leaning against her, lightly asleep. "They're coming over as fast as they can, but they won't be here till tomorrow."

"Good... thanks Bree..." Beca smiled weakly. "Any luck with Emily's parents?"

"Besides Mrs. Katherine Junk?" Aubrey asked, staring at the floor. "I couldn't reach her mom. I left a voicemail. Hopefully she comes soon..."

"I never really knew what happened with Emily. Her family is a really touchy subject for her." Beca looked away, gaze locked onto Benji for some odd reason. "Sometimes I think that me and Chloe are the ones raising Emily, not her actual biological parents."

Beca's phone rang. It was the studio. She hung up. She wasn't in the mood. Not more screaming for originality. Not now... not ever... Sammy can wait.

Her family could not.

"She's like your daughter, Becs," Aubrey smiled softly. "You treat her like your daughter. You do background checks on all her friends, become like that protective dad... I see the same for Chloe. She's like the mom of your little family. Loving dad and mom with a good kid. That's what the three of you remind me of."

"I don't understand..." Beca said softly. "Me and Chloe were always fighting this year."

"That may be true... but answer me this. Do you love Chloe?"

"Of course! A million times yes! What does that have to do with anything..."

"Because she loves you too. More than anything. And even though you are going through some rocky roads now... it's going to be okay, Beca. Because when you both love each other and are willing to work things out... you'll be okay. And Emily sees that. Between the fighting and arguments... you both care about her."

Beca was quiet, looking at Benji.

"I want her to be happy."

"Who?"

"Both of them."

"You make each other happy. Don't forget about yourself, Becs. Never forget about yourself," Aubrey smiled tiredly. "I know you all will work through this together."

"Okay."

Amy sat on the floor, against the wall. Flo had walked off the get coffees for everybody. The thunder boomed and crackled.

It didn't help the still present hole of self-loathing within Beca to leave.

She hated stormy days. Some days, when there was a storm, she'd look out the window and see her mother. She knew it was all a hallucination, a trick if the eye. Beca's mom would stand in the pouring rain, in the road. If she had been real, she would have been run over.

Sometimes when it was stormy, Beca would drift off to sleep. Her nightmares would torment her to the morning. Chloe used to sit with her, lie with her, whisper comforting nothings. Chloe never pried, but Beca slowly told her things. Bit by bit. Nowadays, she didn't come up entirely, leaving Beca to fend for herself against her past demons.

_It was stormy. Just like this one._

_She was younger. She was in the back seat. Her mother was driving. Her dad was in the passenger seat, looking at his phone._

_They had recently divorced. Beca felt like it was all her fault._

_"Honey?" her mom asked._

_"Hm?" Beca asked._

_"I love you still. You know that right?"_

_"Don't say that to her," her dad spat venomously. "You fucking left."_

_"She's my daughter, I have the right to say that," her mother snapped. "Warren, us being divorced doesn't equate to me loving her less!"_

_"Mom, please stop!" Beca yelled, grabbing onto her mom's shirt. "Look out!"_

_They all screamed as a branch fell from the tree they drove under, crashing through the windshield of the driver's seat. Her mom tried to spin away, but Beca's tight grip prevented her from doing so._

_They drifted and collided with the tree. It was a blur after that._

_But Beca only knew that her mother died on the collisions impact. The branch had stabbed her through the chest because of Beca._

_Her father made sure she knew that._

_And that started a life of neglect and spiralling grief. It didn't have to be that way. But it did._

"I'm sorry, Beca," Warren Mitchell finally said. "For everything."

"I know you're trying."

"It's not your fault."

Beca suddenly aggressively rose from the seat, jabbing Warren in the chest. "You. know. nothing."

"I'm sorry!" Warren yelled. "What else do you want me to say?"

"For fucking abandoning and neglecting me for God knows how long!" Beca snapped, waving her hands wildly. "I didn't know what family felt like until I met the Bellas. I didn't know what a dad was like until I became like one."

"Beca-"

"A dad is someone who is not you, Warren!" Beca stormed off, leaving the rest of the Bellas stunned in her wake.

"She's so pissed..." CR mumbled.

Aubrey looked at Beca sadly. Lilly rose with a vengeance. Amy was staring at the floor.

"Fuck you, Dr. Mitchell," she said suddenly. "I know what it's like to have a terrible dad, and sure as hell you tick almost every checkbox in my list. But... terrible dad you are, you are trying."

Amy looked up at Warren tiredly. Her eyes were red from the pepper spray. "So even though I'ma say fuck you for whatever you did, or didn't do for her... least you can do NOW is actually be there for her. Be the dad she needs now. Even though Shawshank acts all so prickly and defensive... inside she's gonna need a lot more than the Bellas. She needs her dad. No. Admittedly she needs Chloe and Emily, but they're miles from seeing her, you're the next best option."

"Amy," Aubrey warned.

"So what's stopping you?" Amy asked, ignoring Aubrey.

Warren hurriedly scurried off.

They all closed their eyes, wondering how the night turned to shit.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave prompts if you like! This series does follow a plot, and things will be published out of chronological order. I will be going over their different backstories before the movies as well.
> 
> The timeline exists in different groups:  
> Pre-PP1 (Covers childhood, right up to just before PP1)  
> PP1 (Beca's Freshman Year)  
> Post-PP1 (Beca's Freshman Year- halfway through Beca's Junior Year)  
> Pre-PP2 (Rest of Beca's Junior Year-Beca's Senior Year before PP2)  
> PP2 (Emily's Freshman Year)  
> Post-PP2 (Emily's Freshman Year-Emily's Junior Year)  
> Pre-PP3 (Emily's Junior Year-Emily's Senior Year before PP3)  
> PP3 (Emily's Senior Year)  
> Post-PP3 (Up to three years after PP3)  
> Family Stage (Up to three years after Post-PP3)  
> Flight Stage (Up to two years after Family Stage)  
> Grief Stage (Up to two years after Flight Stage)  
> Loss Stage (Up to three years after Grief Stage)  
> Termination Stage (Onwards)  
> Ending Stories (Marking the end of the main plot)


End file.
